Improvement in rotary harrows



NITED STATES PATENT "OFFICE.

SALATHIEL S. THOMPSON, OF HELLERS CORNERS, INDIANA.

IMPROVEMENT IN ROTARY HARROWS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 21,580, dated September 21, 1858.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, S. S. THOMPSON, of Hellers Corners, in the county of Allen and State of Indiana, have invented a new and Improved Rotary Harrow; and I do hereby declare that the following is afull, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure 1 is a plan or top view of my invention. Fig. 2 is a section of the same, taken in the line A B, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detached view of the shoe which supports the front part of the device.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

This invention consists in attaching two barrow-wheels to a frame constructed and arranged in a novel way, as hereinafter fully shown and described, whereby the wheels may be adjusted in a perfectly horizontal plane, so that they will as the implementis drawn along, remain stationary or have no rotary motion, and also rendered capable of being adjusted more or less in an inclined position, so as to obtain by the draft movement a greater or less rapid rotation of the wheels, as may be desired.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct my invent-ion, I will proceed to describe it.

A represents the frame of the implement, which is formed of two bars, (I d, placed obliquely with each other, or in V form, the front ends being connected by a hinge or swivel joint, a, as shown clearly in Fig. 1.

On the front ends of the barsdd a block, b, is fitted, the front ends of the bars being rounded, so that they may turn freely in the block. In the block b a shoe or support, 0, is fitted. Thisshoeorsupportisaeurved wooden bar, which may be shod with metal to prevent wear. This shoe supports the front end of the frame A. The back parts of the bars at d are secured by screw-bolts i z to circular disks e at the outer ends of bars 6.

u D D are two wheels, the hubs of which are formed of two circular disks, h h, bolted together, the armsE of the wheels being secured at their inner ends between said disks. Any

proper number of arms E may be used, and the wheels D should be bound with a tire, P, the wheels, as well as the frame, being of wood. The wheels D D are placed quite close to each other, and the bolts i pass through the centers of the disks h h or hubs, and form center axes for the wheels D D. The nuts k of the bolts i are on their upper ends, the heads 2' being below and covered with rawhide n or other material to prevent dust working into the bearing or hubs of the wheels around the bolts or axes t. (See Fig. 2.)

The end of each bar 0 is slotted or recessed longitudinally, so as to fit on a curved or seg meut bar, g, which is attached to the hubs of the wheels, and through which holes are made to receive pins, which also pass through the ends of the bars, the bar e of one wheel fitting on the segment-bar g of the other, as shown clearly in Fig. 2.

Each wheel I) has a series of teeth, m, passing through its rim and projecting sufficiently below its surface, as shown in Fig. 2. The two bars 0 e are connected by a pivot, f, which is in line with the swivel hinge orjointa.

The operation is as follows: As the machine s drawn along, the wheels D D will rem t perfectly stationary, provided they be adjusted in a horizontal plane; butif they be inclined by raising the outer ends of the bars 0, and securing the wheels in such position by passing a pin through the outer part of each bar 6 and its segment 9, the wheels D will be rotated in consequence of the teeth msinking farther into the ground at the outer sides of the wheels, and a more or less rapid rotary movement may be given the wheels by giving them a greater or less degree of inclination.

It will be understood, of course, that in adjusting the wheels D the bars 01 turn in the block b. By this invention, therefore, it will be seen that an ordinary stationary toothed harrow is obtained, or a rotary one, and the wheels made to rotate with a greater or less degree of speed, as may be desired.

I am aware that rotary harrows have been previously invented, and I therefore do not claim broadly rotary toothed wheels for such purpose; but,

Having thus described my invention, what I and secured in proper position by the segments claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters 9 and pins 9, substantially as and for the pur- Patent, is-- pose set forth.

Attaching the toothed wheels D D to the s frame A, formed of the bars d d, hinged to- SALATHIDL THOMPDON' gether or connected at their front ends by a Witnesses:

Swivel-joint, a, and having their back parts at- WILLIAM IBA, tached to bars 6 0, connected by a pivot, f, W. H. BROOKS. 

